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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27739633">The Song That Saves 2020</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheStrangeSeaWolf/pseuds/TheStrangeSeaWolf'>TheStrangeSeaWolf</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>#ALockdownCarol, #DoctorWhoLockdown, Banter, Doctor convincing Doctor, Gen, Guitars, Headbanging Doctors, Music, Spoilers, lockdown - Freeform, saving 2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:14:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,191</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27739633</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheStrangeSeaWolf/pseuds/TheStrangeSeaWolf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Twelfth Doctor gets a call from his next incarnation asking him for help in a very important mission: saving a lot of carol singers in distress - and the rest of 2020.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Thirteenth Doctor &amp; Twelfth Doctor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Song That Saves 2020</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>When word spread that there would be a new #DoctorWhoLockdown song #ALockdownCarol organized by @BornaMatosic and @Emily_Rosina a twitter conversation between Borna, @attadance and @TheWeegieDoctor had me summoned, asking me to write a story about how the Master managed to get all the faces of the Lockdown Carol Singers into the round things...<br/>Well, you shouldn't challenge me like that...</p><p>Oh, and before you shout: *My* Thirteen wears rainbow braces, not plain yellow ones. Because I think she totally should! My fic, my rules.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Big crisis! Huge, big crisis! Really, really huge, big, scary crisis!”</p><p>The transmission cracked and crackled, and all the Doctor could tell was that there was a woman with blonde hair, a large coat and... were those rainbow braces? He never had the courage to wear rainbow braces, and now he wished he had, they really looked cool!</p><p>Oh, anyway, that woman wanted something from him. But she really had to get her head together and be more consistent.</p><p>“Okay, calm down, calm down. Can't be that bad. What is it?”</p><p>He flicked a few more switches, and finally managed to get the transmission stable and in good quality. Not blu-ray quality, but at least decent for this TARDIS type. The TARDIS hummed her protest, stating that she was in excellent shape for her age. He ignored her and focused his attention on the blonde woman.</p><p>“Okay, so, long story short, you have to go to 2020 Earth to rescue...”</p><p>“No! Listen, whoever you are, I'm not going to go back to 2020!”</p><p>“You have to!”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>“Because I am the Doctor!”</p><p>“No, I am the Doctor!”</p><p>“Yes you are, so am I.”</p><p>The woman let her braces flick. He really should wear braces more often. Why had he stopped doing that? They were comfy, and especially after a long dinner you could... wait... no... she couldn't be the Doctor. <em>He</em> was the Doctor. <em>He</em> always had a <em>male</em> body. At least as far as he could recall. His memory wasn't as good as it used to be, lately. He was missing some bits and somehow his childhood was very, very blurry. But still...</p><p>“You are me?”</p><p>“Yeah, future me, ehrm... future you... kinda cool, huh?”</p><p>The woman suddenly swirled around, letting her coat fly.</p><p>“Wait, wait, wait... I'm from <em>Yorkshire</em> in the future?”</p><p>“No, of course not! You are still from Gallifrey! In case it escaped you, your are not from Scotland either, you just speak Scottish!”</p><p>“My Scottish eyebrows would like to have a word with you...” he scowled, “both of them!”</p><p>“You wander from the subject!”</p><p>“No, <em>I </em>wander through time and space, <em>you </em>wander from the subject! Or the object! Or the project! Or whatever it is you wanted to tell me, interrupting my morning routine.”</p><p>“You don't have a morning routine! You don't even have a concept of 'morning'!”</p><p>“How do you know?”</p><p>“I <em>am</em> you, remember?”</p><p>For a moment they scowled at each other through time and space, none of them knowing where the other was, but <em>exactly</em> knowing the other was an unbearable idiot. Which was logical, because they were the same person.</p><p>“Okay... this transmission is all but stable, not to mention my mood. So, I accept for a moment that I am you, and I am now from... <em>Yorkshire...</em> so we can get down to business. Why should I go to 2020? Because, honestly, that seems like a stupid idea. Have you seen Earth in 2020? It's like some mad showrunner for a dystopian TV series has gotten themselves entangled in the different plots and character dynamics, not finding a way out, tearing down all they have written before in the process.”</p><p>“Yeah, I know. I've been there.”</p><p>“Me, too! So... why should I go there? Voluntarily?”</p><p>“Because said showrunner is someone you and me know very well.”</p><p>“You mean... there is really someone responsible for 2020?”</p><p>“Yes. There is. And you could have guessed who.”</p><p>“Who?”</p><p>“Wow, I didn't recall I was that thick when I was in a male body... Okay... I give you a hint: loves chaos, is completely bananas, has no idea what they are doing, destroys stuff, and tries to kill us as kind of a love letter?”</p><p>“Missy!”</p><p>“Yes! No! I mean: yes and no. The Master is back!”</p><p>“Oh no, that means...”</p><p>“Yes, you totally messed it up with that guarding the vault thing. But, of course, Nardole told us that over and over again...”</p><p>The Doctor let his head sink in defeat. All his hopes had been in vain. All his attempts to redeem Missy... he didn't know if he could go on being the Doctor knowing that he would fail like that.</p><p>“You know of course that this was a <em>major </em>spoiler and I will need to mind-wipe you anyway when this is over, right?</p><p>He nodded. Maybe for the better. He wondered if his memory was this rubbish lately because he mind-wiped his younger incarnations too often. But, whatever... Knowing the future was never a good thing. Sometimes it would even keep him from doing the right thing.</p><p>“Okay... okay... so, Missy is out of the vault and messed up 2020, and now we need to fix it?”</p><p>“Yes... I mean, no. It isn't Missy, it is...”</p><p>The woman – himself – herself – themselves? – heck, this whole situation gave him a major headache! – His future self pulled out her phone and swiped until she apparently had found what she was looking for. Then she held the phone to the camera and he saw the picture of a bearded man.</p><p>“Wow! Is this on the beach of Zefra 9? And are these little Cybermen on his speedos? Rather attractive, though. Are... are you sharing a zappaberry ice-cream there?”</p><p>“Wait, I search for a less distracting picture.”</p><p>She swiped again and showed him a picture of a still rather attractive man in a purple suit.</p><p>“Okay... so, I get it, beardy-weirdy is the new Master. And has messed up 2020. Which sounds totally like them. Now, you two seem to have a really nice relationship. Why don't you just text him and tell him to stop doing whatever it is he is doing with 2020?”</p><p>“How well would this work with Missy?”</p><p>He had to admit she had a point. He gave an indistinct shrug and a grunt.</p><p>“What happened and what do I have to do?”</p><p>He finally asked because his future self seemed to have gotten side-tracked, swiping her phone and giggling at something.</p><p>“Oh, sorry! Yaz has sent me a video of a cute cat that... Oh, spoilers! Okay, so, the Master has captured some innocent people and trapped them in the round things of his TARDIS...”</p><p>“Have you ever found out what the round things are?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Me, neither. I just could debunk the myth that it is a shower curtain.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“Oh, right.”</p><p>“Try to keep up! So, he has trapped those people in the round things and we have to free them. Apparently, there is a certain combination of singing and a tune played on an electric guitar...”</p><p>He didn't hear her next words because he rushed to his bedroom and grabbed his favorite electric guitar. When he came back, his future self was again occupied with her phone. He played a riff from “Suicide Blonde”, which made her look up with an annoyed frown that looked adorable. He wondered if he looked adorable, too, when he frowned...</p><p>“I hate this song!”</p><p>“I know, me, too, but I got your attention back. So, the Master trapped these people...”</p><p>“Oh, yes, nice people, brilliant people. Whovians! The best kind of people!”</p><p>“Whovians? Never heard of them. From which planet are they?”</p><p>“Not a planet, Grumpy Eyebrows Me! They are humans. Whovians are humans who... oh, sorry, spoilers!”</p><p>“Doesn't matter. So, humans trapped by the Master in round things. And only<em> I</em> can free them.”</p><p>He struck a heroic pose.</p><p>“Well... only a <em>song</em> can free them. And this song will also fix 2020. Well, what is left of 2020 at this point in the timeline, that is. A song sung by those Whovians, and accompanied by an electric guitar.”</p><p>He played “Scotland the Brave”. His future self rolled her eyes at him.</p><p>“Not <em>your</em> guitar, though.”</p><p>“What's wrong with my guitar?”</p><p>“Nothing. At least not with the guitar. It is just... that we will need Borna Matosic playing the song, only he can play it in exactly the right way so it shatters the round things when they come in resonance with the song sung by the people.”</p><p>“Borna who?”</p><p>“Borna Matosic... wait...”</p><p>His future self occupied herself with her phone again. “The Shepherd's Boy” started playing.</p><p>Both Doctors cringed. The future Doctor kept scrolling.</p><p>“Doomsday” started playing. Both Doctors cringed.</p><p>This time his future self scrolled frantically. “The Majestic Tale” started playing.</p><p>Both Doctors started headbanging, the grey-haired one playing along, the blonde one playing air guitar.</p><p>“That's epic!”</p><p>He shouted when the song was finished.</p><p>“It's brilliant, yes! <em>Borna </em>is brilliant!”</p><p>His future self agreed.</p><p>“Okay, I get why we need this guy! But what do you need <em>me</em> for?”</p><p>“Well...” the blonde woman clasped her hands together and rubbed them, “see, I have to bring Borna into the Master's TARDIS, which is no big deal. I stole one of his keys when we were... ah, well, doesn't matter...”</p><p>“Spoilers?”</p><p>“No, just embarrassing,” his younger – or older – self shrugged, “anyway, the Master being the Master, if I just get Borna, chances are he stops us and kills him. He knows that I'm close on his heels. The Master's new obsession is to miniaturize humans and then sell them as action figures. And, as much as I'd love to have a Borna Matosic action figure, I don't want to risk that. So, here's the plan:”</p><p>“You have a plan? That's new.”</p><p>“I have <em>always </em>a plan. But this one, I'm rather sure, will work.”</p><p>“I'm relieved, then.”</p><p>He was not convinced at all. The last time one of <em>his </em>plans had worked out it had still been a gigantic mess. He wondered if the Yetis were still mad at him, and if they ever managed to clean the top of the Mount Everest or if it was still lime green...</p><p>“<span><span>Emily </span></span><span>Rosina helped,“ Rainbow Braces Him added.<br/>
</span></p><p>
  <span>He breathed relieved. He knew Emily. </span>
  <em>Her </em>
  <span>plans usually turned out fine. At least far better than his.</span>
</p><p>“So, here's the plan: You are cosplaying Borna and distract the Master while I get the <em>real </em>Borna into the Master's TARDIS to play the song and free the people.”</p><p>“Why don't <em>you </em>cosplay Borna and I get Borna into the Master's TARDIS?”</p><p>“I can't. I don't play guitar.”</p><p>“Ah, come on, don't be silly! That's like riding a bicycle! You never unlearn it.”</p><p>“Sorry, ran out of memory. Had to erase that part of our brain to be able to analyze soil samples by their taste.”</p><p>“You erased a perfectly fine ability to play an instrument for <em>what</em>? Being able to munch a handful of soil and say 'Mhm, excellent, somewhere between Berriedale and John o' Groats!'? Have you gone bananas?”</p><p>“Don't be silly. I can analyze the samples of soil much more specifically, down to the exact percentage of minerals in it and the exact coordinates of the location.”</p><p>“What good is this if you can't play 'Stairway to Heaven' anymore?”</p><p>He asked in horror, immediately starting to play it, knowing he would lose this ability in the future.</p><p>“You'll get over it. Promise. Time heals. So, you'll do it?”</p><p>“Wait... what if the Master kills me and miniaturizes me to an action figure?”</p><p>“What a silly question, I will do an auction for charity with it, then.”</p><p>His future self grinned like a Cheshire cat.</p><p>“You are me, so it is unlikely you can do it. You can't sell yourself if you are trapped as me.”</p><p>“Oh, try to keep up, Eyebrows! If he miniaturizes you, I will simply regenerate into... me! And that's brilliant!”</p><p>She looked smug and let her braces flick.</p><p>“Why does this sound like the stupidest regeneration scene ever? And it will create a major paradox. I mean, even greater than the one we already create by me going back to 2020 to stop the Master because you told me in,” he checked the watch on the console, “5134.”</p><p>“So, I take it, this is a yes?”</p><p>“Yes, this is a yes.”</p><p>He sighed. He had never been able to say 'no' to a stupid risk when it came to free a few good humans. Especially not if it involved playing guitar. And saving the rest of 2020 sure sounded like a good thing.</p><p>“Brilliant! We meet at the White House in Washington in December 2020, then. Oh, just one thing... you will need a wig to cosplay Borna.”</p><p>“A wig? Only over my dead, regenerating body!”</p><p>“That... or you dye your hair brown.”</p><p>The TARDIS gave a distinct sound. She was giggling in anticipation. He sighed.</p><p>“A wig is it, then.”</p><p>He would not let the TARDIS put hair rollers on him ever again. She took photos of him to blackmail him.</p><p>The TARDIS hummed her disappointment.</p><p>He went to his wardrobe and dressed up as Borna Matosic, including a wig with long, brown hair, strolled to the console playing “And So The World Ends” – he always thought that it was a fitting anthem for 2020, and he was not sure how long it would be until he lost his ability to play – set the coordinates, and pulled the lever.</p><p>One more gig wouldn't kill anyone.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Songs in the sequence of their appearance:<br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma4TOv2f_WY">Suicide Blonde - INXS</a><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLz8y5sp-lU">Scotland The Brave - Trenchdevil</a><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e69VGBkwHfw">The Shepherd's Boy - Borna Matosic</a><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hAdmVStrIg">Doomsday - Borna Matosic</a><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt6NuXBdUMM">The Majestic Tale (Of A Madman In A Box) - Borna Matosic</a><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbhCPt6PZIU">Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin</a><br/><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuhw8ZsPLb4">And So The World Ends- Borna Matosic</a></p><p>Unfortunately there is a picture showing that the "round things" in the TARDIS really were a curtain in the Pertwee/Delgado era. But maybe Twelve just chose to ignore that fact: <a href="https://twitter.com/LiamRudden/status/1329706923403472902?s=20">https://twitter.com/LiamRudden/status/1329706923403472902?s=20</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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